Forgotten
by melodicResonance
Summary: After yet another mission attempting to bring back Sasuke, Naruto receives a serious concussion that causes him to lose most of his memory. Naturally, Hinata is devastated, but does everything within her power to help him regain it back. That proves to be a difficult task, however-especially when Naruto is slowly falling for Sakura, despite Hinata being his supposed love.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Hinata Hyūga would have never imagined that she would be able to call someone her own—especially Naruto Uzumaki. After all, he had liked the pink-haired Haruno Sakura for a long time, and Hinata couldn't blame him. The other girl was much stronger, more outspoken, and cuter than her. She couldn't compete.

Somehow, Hinata had gotten through to Naruto, and even in the present moment she could not say how or why.

But she sure was glad that she could finally say that the one she loved, loved her back.


	2. One

**One**

"_Hey Hinata, did you really think that?"_

"_What?"_

"_I may look strong from your point of view, but I always screw up…I just act strong because I'm mad."_

"_That's not true! Even if you did make a mistake you were always from my point of view a proud man who makes lots of mistakes. When I looked at you, there was this impact on my heart. You're not perfect. You make mistakes and you get stronger from them. I believe that is true strength. Naruto-kun, you are a strong person, I think."_

"_Thank you Hinata." He gave her that bright smile she always loved. "I've always been last place in everything. I was nervous over nothing. I was a bit depressed, but I feel better now!" She slowly felt her face grow hot and a blush creep across her face. "I'll be going off to the match now!" He was turning to walk away, but then stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at her. "Hinata…"_

_Her heart began to race. "Huh?"_

"_I always thought of you as a dark, timid, weird person…"_

_Her heart slowly began to drop. Oh…_

"_But you know something?" He smiled at her one last time, and then turned to walk away. "I like people like you."_

It was a dream. Hinata yawned sleepily and slowly opened her eyes, a small smile on her face.

_I remember that conversation just like it was yesterday_. Naruto had always played a role in contributing to her slowly growing self-confidence, and that little exchange between them during the time of the Chunin exams was no exception.

"Have a good dream?"

She glanced over and saw that Naruto was looking at her, sleep still in his bright blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, Naruto-kun…but I did have a good dream." She smiled at him.

He sleepily grinned back, and then suddenly reached over, enveloping her in his arms. "Don't be sorry, I wanted to wake up if you were going to." He buried his face into her hair, and she felt herself blush deeper. "What did you dream about?"

She almost didn't hear his question, distracted by the warmth of his body wrapped around hers. She hoped that he couldn't hear her heartbeat racing, racing, and racing…

"It was that one time, when you and I talked outside while the Chunin exams were going on. You were discouraged, and apparently I helped you feel better." She still found herself having a hard time breathing with him around, especially _this_ close.

His body shook a little as he laughed. "Oh, wow! That was a long time ago. But I do remember, now." He nuzzled his face into her hair even more. "You were so cute, Hinata. I mean, you still are now. Actually, more like _beautiful_!" His arms around her tightened, and his voice tickled in her hair.

"N-N-N—" Hinata tried to deny this, but was interrupted by Naruto, who began to tickle her in the ribs, her most ticklish spot. "Naruto-kun, that tickles! S-S-ST-STOOOOPP!" She began laughing uncontrollably, trying unsuccessfully to pull away from him.

He eventually stopped, and pulled her close again, putting his mouth to her ear.

"Don't ever try to say you're otherwise," he said softly, his breath tickling her ear. "You're absolutely amazing, Hinata."

Her heart skipped a beat, and the blush crept back into her face. Good thing he couldn't see—how embarrassing. "Okay, N-Naruto-kun."

He squeezed her tighter, and then kissed the top of her head. "Well, I better get ready. I have another mission!"

Hinata promptly sat up. "Really? For what?"

The smile on his face went away a little. "We think we know where Sasuke is. We're going to try to bring him back here again."

"Oh." She knew how much this meant to him. "How long will you be gone?"

"I honestly don't know…but I'll try my best to get back as soon as possible, so don't worry." He smiled at her, and grabbed his clothes. "It'll be most of the guys and me. We'll get this done in no time!"

She couldn't help but smile at that. His optimism sure was admirable, no doubt. "Just be careful, Naruto-kun."

Before he went out the door, he took her by the hand and gave her a kiss. "I love you, Hinata," he said, and her heart raced. "Don't get too bored while I'm gone."

She held onto him tight, not wanting to let go. "I love you too."

As she watched him go, and he turned back to wave at her one last time, with a huge smile on his face, she couldn't help but have a bad feeling about the whole thing deep down inside. She didn't want him to leave, not at all.


	3. Two

**Two**

"_When I watch you, I feel strong, like I can do anything—that even I am worth something." _-Hinata

* * *

Naruto and the others set out immediately after Lady Tsunade had given them instructions.

"Now Naruto, this might not end up being completely successful again," she had warned him. "If there is too much at stake and any of your lives are threatened, abort the mission and come back immediately."

He had almost said something to this, but then Kakashi had spoken up. "She's right. Your lives are most important. Sasuke, whether you like it or not, is fine and has been fine. Don't give up hope though, we are doing our best to bring him back home." He gave Naruto a reassuring nod, and then they were dismissed. Pakkun was sent along with them for assistance.

"We're going to use my sense of smell, as well as Akamaru's," said Pakkun as they drifted through the trees, "and Shino's insects, in order to try and track Sasuke down."

"All right, Akamaru, do your best!" Kiba patted the great dog's head and Akamaru barked in agreement.

Naruto was barely paying attention to any of this. Yes, he was thinking about finding Sasuke and finally bringing him back to the Hidden Leaf, but he was also worrying about Hinata. Ever since the invasion of Pain and her near-death sacrifice for him, he couldn't help but worry that she would be okay without him.

Just the memory made him fill with rage and overwhelming sadness, but he took in a deep breath to calm down. _No time to think about this right now…we have to find Sasuke_.

"You doing okay?" Shikamaru peered at him suspiciously. "You look a little out of it."

"Nah, I'm fine." Naruto tried to shrug it off, and then Neji appeared by the other side of him.

"Hey, how are you and Hinata doing, anyway?" He elbowed him, raising an eyebrow. "Taking care of my cousin, Uzumaki?"

"Maybe that's why he's so out of it," teased Choji. "Having little fantasies there?"

"Shut up!" Naruto felt himself turn red, despite this not being true. "She's been fine. I'm sure she'll be okay with everyone else back at home." He didn't want to bring up his true personal feelings about the raven-haired girl, especially around these guys. Why he cared and worried for her so much—he could barely put it into words himself.

"Good, because I'd _kill_ you if you ever hurt her." Neji elbowed Naruto in the arm again, but they knew he was joking. Sort of.

The other guys laughed, but then shortly stopped because they noticed that Pakkun was slowing down gradually, his nose sniffing out the air. Akamaru was doing the same thing, and then everyone halted to a complete stop.

"I've got three scents," Pakkun said slowly, turning to face them all. "It's still hard to completely tell, but I think it's Sasuke and his crew."

Naruto's mind finally focused on the present moment. "S-Sasuke?"

* * *

It had been several days since Naruto had left, and Hinata was trying her best to keep herself occupied. She found it increasingly difficult as the days went by, because every morning she was waking up from the same nightmare.

_ "Why did you come here? Hurry up and run! He's too much for—" Naruto was screaming at her, unable to move because he was pinned to the ground. Seeing him in this state was almost too much for her to bear, but she had to get past it. She had to save him, even if it meant being unable to save herself._

_ She was reaching out as far as she could, desperately trying to reach him so that she could free him, but she was knocked back by the incredibly strong shinra tensei of Pain._

_ It hurt—everything hurt—but she bit her tongue and suppressed the pain as much as she could. She slowly pulled herself to her feet, every bone and muscle in her body screaming at her to stop. But she couldn't. Not until Naruto was safe._

_ "Why are you doing this?" Pain was speaking to her now, but she could barely hear. Naruto was yelling at her to get away, to escape, but all she could really hear was her jagged, shallow breathing as she stood her ground and slowly raised her hands._

_ "I'm here because I want to be here. I used to always cry and give up...I made many wrong turns..." She managed a weak smile at him, her heart slowly beginning to race from nervousness. "But you...you helped me find the right path...I always chased after you...I wanted to catch up to you...I wanted to walk beside you all the time…I just wanted to be with you." She coughed, and a little blood came out of her mouth. But she continued to talk, determined to see this through. "You changed me! Your smile is what saved me! That is why I am not afraid to die protecting you! Because...I love you...Naruto-kun." _

_His blue eyes were wide as he looked at her, and she kept her smile aimed at him, even when Pain hit her again with his powerful jutsu. She almost didn't feel the excruciating pain throughout her body as she collided with the ground, or even when the pole was stabbed through her chest. She felt her eyes close. All she could feel was a strange sense of peace, now that she had finally let out her true feelings. Then suddenly, she felt extreme pains running throughout her body, and it felt like her heart was being ripped out. It was almost unbearable. _What was happening? Am I finally going to die? I wanted to at least see his face one more time…to be able to say goodbye…

"_Hinata! Hinata!" Naruto was calling out her name, screaming in desperation and panic, but it grew more faint as she felt herself slowly fading out, disappearing…_

"N-Naruto-kun!" She would wake up after yelling his name, tears streaming down her face and a dull pain in her chest.

Hinata may have seemed brave at that moment, but she had been terrified out of her mind. She would have done anything for Naruto, even died, but that didn't mean that dying didn't scare her. The pain from those injuries was the most excruciating thing she had experienced in her life, and even now in the aftermath, she was still occasionally haunted by it—and Naruto's screams. It had been hard to get over, even now that she was with Naruto.

She busied herself throughout the day by cleaning up Naruto's room (one of the messiest places she had ever seen), cleaning and cooking at her own place, helping Sakura and Ino run some errands given by Lady Tsunade within the village, and working little by little on her own training.

Despite doing all of these things, the loud-mouthed, energetic, and optimistic blond would not leave her mind. In fact, she couldn't recall a time that he ever had.


	4. Three

**Three**

"_I never knew Hinata was this incredible…" _–Naruto

* * *

"This is what we're going to do," Shikamaru said, after Pakkun had announced the possibility of Sasuke being nearby. "Kiba and Shino, stand by with Akamaru and your insects ready. Choji will stay with you two to keep guard, just in case. Lee, Neji, and Pakkun can be our bait to bring them closer in range so that I can get a hold of them with my shadow possession."

"What about me?" Naruto wanted in on the action, as always.

"Just stay behind me for backup. Don't get offended Naruto, but you tend to just rush right in when it comes to—"

"Sasuke. I know." Naruto wasn't too happy about this, but he didn't press the issue any further. Besides, the more successful this could be, the better. He was determined to finally bring back his former teammate.

Shikamaru and Naruto took refuge in the branches of a tall tree, waiting for the signal. Pakkun had run off with Lee and Neji in tow, leading by his keen sense of smell.

All of a sudden, Shikamaru whirled around and pulled Naruto down to a crouch with him. "Damn!" He glanced over at the paper bomb that was attached to the kunai knife that was now embedded into the tree trunk near Naruto's arm. "Get to the ground!"

They reached the base of the tree just as it exploded, and then the others ran up to them.

"Shinobi from the Hidden Mist," Kiba said, and Akamaru barked as if to confirm this. They looked just as thrown off as Naruto and Shikamaru. "No sign of Sasuke. What's going on here?"

"I don't know. All I know is that we're being attacked for some reason, and we need to resolve this quickly so that we can focus on the mission here." It soon became clear that Shikamaru was already forming a plan.

"Okay," he began, "here's what we're going to do…"

* * *

"We have to go back," Pakkun suddenly said, stopping in his tracks. "Something's wrong. I can hear signs of battle back where we left the others. I smell other people…but none of them seem to be Sasuke."

"What's going on?" Lee raised his thick eyebrows. "Battle? Let's go!" He was more than ready.

They began sprinting back the way they came, and stumbled upon everyone else almost immediately. There were three unrecognizable faces from the Hidden Mist, and Shikamaru had barely managed to grab hold of two of them. He was trying hard to reach the third but was having a difficult time.

"We've got this," Kiba said, and nodded at Akamaru. "Let's do it! Fang over fang!"

Shino had his insects out, and was trying to help as well.

"Aren't you the nine-tailed fox brat?" The one guy that was free of Shikamaru's shadow possession snarled. "Why don't you just give up quietly and come along with us so we don't have to have any of this unnecessary trouble?"

Naruto gave a hearty laugh. "I would like to see you try!" He clasped his hands together. "Shadow clone jutsu!" Several clones appeared, and they all began to run at the Hidden Mist shinobi while the real Naruto stayed behind them, forming his Rasengan. Neji and Lee ended up taking care of one of the guys while he had been held by the shadow possession, but time was running out. Shikamaru could only do this for so long, and Naruto knew this.

But he also wasn't completely thinking about everything, either. He was still a bit out of it from his earlier thoughts and worries, despite his fiery determination during any fights. He was running towards the rude little bastard, ready to unleash all hell on him.

Suddenly, he heard his clones disappearing all around him, and that's when he felt a heavy metal object make contact with his head. The Rasengan disappeared almost as quickly as it had formed, and then he could hear the others yelling at him from all directions.

"Naruto!"

"Uzumaki! You idiot!"

"Naruto!"

Naruto hadn't felt anything at first, but suddenly there was increasing pain inside of his temple that seemed to be throbbing and expanding inside so that it felt as if his head was going to explode. Normally he was able to stand pain, but this time seemed different.

_It hurts_. He slowly closed his eyes as his body finally hit the ground. _Is this it? Is this how I'm going to go? How stupid_.Suddenly, he felt an ache in his heart as well, because then he remembered, _Hinata_…

_I love you_.

* * *

_Hinata…_

Hinata woke with a start. It was still dark in Naruto's room, where she must have fallen asleep accidentally while paying a visit. She liked being at his place when she missed him, especially since it was the next best thing to him actually being there. Plus, his bed was really comfy—and he didn't mind that she always cleaned it up for him!

But she knew that something wasn't right.

"That was Naruto's voice," she whispered to herself, "he sounded like he needed help..." She yawned and slowly stretched before lying back down. There was a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she couldn't shake it. It had been present ever since he had left.

Suddenly, she missed him more than ever.


	5. Four

**Four**

_"I don't want to lose him. He feels so close to me. I've always felt this way." _- Hinata

* * *

It took a while, but they finally finished off the Hidden Mist shinobi and then rushed over to Naruto, who wasn't moving.

"He's just unconscious," Shikamaru stated, "but this nasty bruised and scratched bump on his head looks pretty serious. We need to abandon this mission for now and get him back to the village so he can be taken care of."

"Put him on Akamaru's back," Kiba said, "let's go."

* * *

Hinata was having lunch at Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto's favorite. She wondered how he was doing, and if he was hungry—probably. The thought made her smile to herself as she picked up her chopsticks.

"Hey Hinata! Mind if I join you?" It was Sakura, who promptly took the seat next to her.

"Oh, sure."

Sakura grinned and ordered a bowl before turning to face Hinata.

"What?" Hinata suddenly felt self-conscious, and glanced over at her while taking a bite of her noodles.

"Have you been doing okay?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, Naruto hasn't really gone off anywhere ever since you guys have been together," Sakura explained, "and I know that it's pretty hard for you to not have him around." She still remembered when she had realized how much Hinata really loved Naruto, seeing how badly injured she had gotten from trying to protect him from Pain. It had been quite shocking, actually.

Hinata slowly put down her chopsticks. "Well, it definitely isn't easy." She took in a deep breath, and looked Sakura in the eye. "Sometimes everything's fine, because I'm doing something. But other times, I really miss him. I mean, I miss him all the time. I don't think there is a time that he isn't on my mind. A lot of times I get really afraid, because there's a possibility that he doesn't feel as strongly about me as I do for him…"

_Wow_, Sakura thought to herself, _Hinata's really changed_. _Is it really because of Naruto_?

"Hinata, I—"

"Sakura! There you are!" It was Choji, who was out of breath.

"Choji?" Hinata said, and then her eyes widened. "You guys are back? N-Naruto-kun is back?"

His face fell, and then she got a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Yes, we're back," he replied, "but Sakura, we need you…Naruto's seriously hurt. He's not conscious."

"Okay, I'll be there right away!" Sakura quickly stood up and began following Choji.

Hinata still couldn't believe what she had heard. She took a final bite of ramen and immediately ran after the others, desperate to see Naruto with her own eyes.

* * *

"Naruto's still alive," Sakura peered out of the room, "but Hinata…he's really injured."

Hinata could feel her whole world caving in. It had to be some kind of mistake, right? She hadn't slept very well last night, maybe she had heard incorrectly—

"Hinata," Sakura said again, no trace of good news written on her face. "Naruto's concussion was pretty bad…he might not wake up. And if he does, there will definitely be some serious repercussions." She slowly walked over and sat next to Hinata, looking at her carefully. "Are you all right?"

_Of course I'm not all right_, Hinata wanted to scream. _This wasn't supposed to happen_. _He was supposed to have a successful mission and come back home to me safe_. _How could this happen? Naruto would have never let himself get hurt this badly…there must have been something wrong_. She barely managed a small nod, still not making any eye contact. "As long as he'll be okay in the end," she lied, desperately trying to hide the increasing panic that was threatening to surface.

"Well, I need to get back to him, so we can do everything we can to help him." Sakura stood up and then gave her a small, reassuring smile. "It'll be okay, don't worry."

As soon as she walked back into the room, Hinata quickly stood up and ran down the hall, out of the building, out of sight from everyone and anyone. She just wanted to get away. Before she could really stop it, tears began to stream down her face and huge sobs escaped from her throat.

_I wasn't able to protect you this time, Naruto-kun_, she thought to herself. _If anything happens to you_…_I don't know how I'm going to live with it_.

_I wouldn't be able to live without you…at all_.

* * *

Two days passed, and then finally Hinata heard the words she had wanted to hear for what seemed a long time.

"Hinata? Naruto's awake."


	6. Five

**Five**

_"Naruto-kun's hand...is big and strong...and makes me feel safe."_ - Hinata

* * *

Sakura was standing outside of the room when Hinata arrived at the hospital. She wasn't smiling at all, and this immediately made Hinata nervous. Sakura's face fell even more once she saw Hinata standing there, and moved away from the open door.

"Hinata," she began quietly, "I don't really know how to say this, but…it looks like the concussion caused Naruto to lose most of his memory."

Hinata felt her entire world cave in. She was swimming, thrashing around to stay above the surface, but in the end the waves overtook her and she was drowning. "What?"

"He remembers his name, at least. And who he is, that the nine-tails is inside of him…" Sakura trailed off, glancing over at the doorway to Naruto's room. "But I don't think he can recall anything else about anyone…"

"N-N-No, you must be mistaken," Hinata interrupted, her voice shaky. "He remembers me. He has to! Naruto-kun wouldn't—" She stopped midsentence and dashed into the room, where Naruto was sitting up, eating a bowl of hot soup. He had a bandage wrapped around his forehead, but otherwise seemed to be normal.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata abruptly stopped, and then slowly walked over to sit next to his bed.

He finally looked up at her, but something wasn't right. There was no trace of recognition or happiness in his eyes—it was more like confusion. "Huh? Who are you? Where's the pink-haired girl who was taking care of me earlier? What's her name…Sakura!" He put down his spoon and looked around the room, then back at her. "Do I know you?"

Hinata could do nothing but stare back at him, the situation slowly sinking in. She almost pinched herself, she _had _to be dreaming. _This is just another nightmare_. As she clenched up her fists in her lap, her nails dug into her palms, and it really hurt.

_This is real_.

"I—I have to go." Hinata quickly stood up, knocking over the chair, and ran out of the room. She ran out of the hospital, away from her one true love who couldn't even recognize his own one true love.

* * *

"Hinata!" Sakura called after her, but it was too late. She stood there in the hallway for a moment, contemplating on what she should do. She slowly turned around and walked back into Naruto's room.

"Oh, there you are!" Naruto grinned, and held up his tray with his finished dinner. "I'm done."

Sakura took it, but set it down on the table by the door and picked up the chair that Hinata had knocked over before sitting in it. "Naruto…" She was looking at the ground as she said this, but then glanced up at him. "You really don't know who that was?"

Naruto drew his eyebrows together in concentration, but then he shrugged. "That dark-haired, quiet girl? Not exactly."

"She's your—" Sakura stopped, and then shook her head. "Never mind…I'll tell you later." She stood up and began to walk out of the room, taking the tray with her, but then glanced back at Naruto. "Let me know if you need anything else."

"Okay, thanks, Sakura!"

The door closed behind her, and he laid down, settling into the bed. _She's great_, Naruto thought to himself, _just my type of girl_.

There was something bothering him, however, and he couldn't fall asleep right away.

_Who _is_ that other girl_? _She's pretty too_, _but_…

His eyes slowly closed, and soon he was fast asleep.

* * *

For the rest of the evening, Hinata stayed on the rooftop of Naruto's place. She didn't eat dinner, or do anything else. How could she? What was she to do?

After a while, she had stopped crying—she felt numb, and out of tears, if that was even possible. _Here I am, crying like I always do in the face of trouble_, she thought to herself bitterly. _I finally thought that I had changed, that I had become stronger like Naruto_…

The mere thought of his name brought that strong ache in her heart, and it was more than she could bear.

Hinata glanced up at the moon in the darkening sky, unable to move. She didn't know what she was going to do from now on. She always knew before, especially being with Naruto. Nothing else mattered in the world.

"Naruto-kun," she whispered softly to herself, and leaned against the cold wall, trying to think of something—anything—other than him.


	7. Six

**Six**

"_Is that why you always act so weird around Naruto whenever he's around? You get so flustered, and stumble on your words…"_

_ "Yes," she answered simply, as if without any effort or hesitation whatsoever. "I love him. I wouldn't think twice about making sacrifices for him in order for him to be happy."_

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes and slowly sat up. The sun was barely rising in the sky. He normally didn't wake up this early in the morning, but for some reason he had.

He couldn't really wrap his head around what that dream meant. Why was he seeing that other girl that he barely knew, so passionately admitting her love for him? For some reason, it felt like one of his memories, and that unnerved him. _What if it really is real_?

Before he could dwell on it any further, Sakura walked into the room, along with Lady Tsunade and Shizune.

"It looks like we don't need to be too concerned about those Hidden Mist shinobi that you guys encountered," Lady Tsunade stated, taking a seat by Naruto's bed. "They weren't sent by anyone, just after you on their own volition…for whatever reasons they had."

"We didn't find Sasuke," Naruto mumbled, disappointed. "We thought it was him."

"Well, it's a good thing that you all came back instead of going on with the mission—you would have been done for!" Sakura blurted, shaking her head at him. She hid her own disappointment about Sasuke, not wanting to touch the subject in front of everyone.

Shizune placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Yes, you all were lucky enough to escape with your lives."

"And the others did end up getting rid of them," Lady Tsunade commented, getting to her feet. "But you look like you're recovering quite well. I won't give out any missions or errands to you anytime soon, though."

"But I—" Naruto began to protest.

"No buts!" She cut him off. "You need the time to fully heal. I don't want to hear anymore complaints, Naruto!"

Naruto sighed heavily, but didn't argue back.

* * *

Hinata felt a hand on her shoulder gently shaking her, and her eyes popped open in surprise.

"Don't worry, it's just me," Neji reassured her, looking down at her. "Why are you up here? Why didn't you come back home and sleep?"

Suddenly it dawned on her that she had accidentally fallen asleep on the rooftop of Naruto's place, and it all came back to her—

_Naruto-kun_…

"I, I didn't mean to," she muttered, and slowly stood up, brushing off her clothes. She had a slight cramp in her neck from sleeping on the hard ground. "I'm sorry for making you worry."

"Something's wrong," Neji said, now looking at her. "Something happened, and that's why you've been up here—"

"N-No, I'm fine, really," Hinata interrupted, taking in a deep breath to suppress her true feelings.

Neji just stared at her for a moment, and then let go of her arm. "I know what happened yesterday. I know that Uzumaki's lost his memory, and that he doesn't remember who you are."

She looked at him, her eyes wide, but then tried to put on a neutral face. "I don't know where you found that out, but—"

"Oh Hinata, cut the crap, I'm not stupid." He looked out across the rooftops that surrounded them, frustrated. "I know how you're feeling right now, because I know how much he means to you. Everyone knows, especially after what you've done for him." He fixed his steely Hyūga eyes back onto her. "But you can't just run away like that. You're giving up already. Isn't it way too soon? Isn't that against your new ninja way—_his_ ninja way?"

Hinata stood there for a moment, taken back by his words. She hadn't expected him to say those things. She knew that he was right, though.

"But how, Neji?" She could feel her eyes suddenly welling up with tears, despite her attempts to hide her emotions. "I can't face him like this…or with him, like this…"

"Why not?" he asked, "aren't you past that point now? You shouldn't be afraid of being yourself in front of the one you love. It isn't shameful to reveal your true feelings to him, because he'll love you no matter what. At least, he should."

She couldn't believe her ears—why was Neji telling her this? This wasn't like him. It was very strange.

"Why are you telling me this?" She was looking at him curiously now, not so sure if this really was her cousin standing before her. "I thought that—"

"Because," he interrupted, eyes still on her, "I know how much you love him…though I don't quite understand, I just don't want you to be hurting anymore." He then turned around and began to walk away. "Come on, let's go home, so that everyone else can know you're safe."

Hinata followed after him, still a bit surprised. But she felt a little better. Just a little.

_I'll do anything it takes for Naruto-kun to remember me_, she thought to herself, _even if it means making some new memories with him_.


	8. Seven

**Seven**

"_Hinata-sama…is willing to die for you, Naruto." _-Neji

* * *

"_Naruto-kun…help me…"_

Naruto squirmed in his sleep, and then eventually opened his eyes. Bright afternoon sun shone through the window, and he rubbed his eyes, disoriented. He must have fallen asleep unintentionally for a few hours, after Lady Tsunade's visit earlier that morning.

"Naruto? Are you awake?" Sakura poked her head in through the doorway.

He slowly sat up and nodded. "Yeah! Um…Sakura-chan?"

She came into the room, holding a cup of tea and a teapot. "What? Want some hot tea?"

"No thanks, I'm good," he replied, still bothered by his dream. "Can I—go out for a bit? I want to get some fresh air."

Sakura put down the tea, a bit surprised at his request. "Well, I don't—" she trailed off, noticing the difference from his normal behavior. _It must be hard_, she thought, _being cooped up in this hospital room all day_.

"Sure," she finally said, giving him a small smile. "Even though tomorrow, you'll be able to leave the hospital—with certain conditions, of course. But try to come back before dark, will you? Tsunade-sama will kill both of us if she finds out."

Naruto grinned at her, getting out of the bed already. "Thanks a bunch! Don't worry about me!"

Before she could say another word, he was out of the room. She shook her head and smiled a little.

_ I hope he gains back the rest of his memory soon_.

* * *

"I'm going out!"

Hinata left her family home, wanting to escape for a bit. She was also trying to work up some more courage to go see Naruto.

The thought absolutely terrified her, but at the same time, gave her a glimpse of hope.

She found a lone bench beneath a blossoming cherry blossom tree and sat down for a moment.

_So pretty_, she looked up above her and admired. Then she noticed that she wasn't alone anymore.

"Oh, you're—"

"H-Hinata." She began to shake a little. Her heart was beating so fast. She crossed her arms in front of her chest to try and stop the nervous shaking.

"Hinata." Naruto remembered his dream, but pushed it out of his mind almost immediately—for now. "Mind if I join you?"

She was not expecting that. "S-S-Sure."

He walked over and took a seat, a lot closer to her than she expected. She almost held her breath, she didn't want him to know how out of control she felt around him.

_It's as if we're starting all over again…from square one_.

"Hey…I'm sorry about yesterday," he said, after a few seconds of awkward silence. "It seemed like you were upset—"

"It's all right." Hinata took in a deep breath. She could feel herself slowly calming down.

_Tell him_, she thought to herself urgently, _now's your chance_.

"Um, I—"

Suddenly Naruto's stomach growled loudly, and he laughed, embarrassed. "Sorry about that! I haven't eaten since this morning!"

Hinata was caught off guard, but she couldn't help but laugh a bit herself.

"I know where we could get some food," she suggested, and got to her feet. "Come on!"

For the moment, she had almost forgotten all of her problems.

Just being with him made everything okay, for now.

* * *

"Wow, that was delicious!" Naruto exclaimed, his three bowls of ramen now empty. "I can't believe I forgot that this was my favorite food!" He turned and grinned at Hinata. "Thanks, Hinata! You know, you're not so bad. A bit quiet, but I like you!"

She felt her face grow hot and turn red in spite of her attempts to hide it. "N-Naruto-kun—"

Naruto stood up and stretched. "Ah, so full! I better get back. Sakura will kill me if I don't!"

"O-Oh…you have to go?" Hinata's face fell.

"Yeah. But I'll see you around! Thanks for keeping me company, Hinata!"

She stood up and watched as he waved at her with that big smile on his face and walked away, taking her past two hours of bliss with him.


	9. Eight

**Eight**

Naruto was finally free from the dull confines of the hospital room—but he didn't feel completely free.

He was constantly waking up from bothersome dreams or nightmares about…her.

_Hinata…I can't help but feel like I'm missing something very important about her. Or, I'm still not in my right mind._

It didn't help that he wasn't allowed to go on any missions anytime soon. Any sort of training was out of the question as well. He didn't want to cross Lady Tsunade, no matter how much he wanted to do these things.

At first he planned on heading to his place, since it had been a while. But then he got an idea, and the thought of it made him smile.

_I should bring Sakura-chan some flowers, since she helped me feel better and all! Maybe it'll also make her like me even more_…

He found some daisies and tulips, and was making his way back to the hospital when suddenly someone accidentally bumped into him. The flowers almost fell out of his hands, but held onto them tightly and reach out with his other hand to catch whoever had walked into him.

"Oh no, I'm s-so sorry—"

"Hinata?"

"N-N-Naruto-kun?"

He was still holding onto her, and she was looking up at him with wide eyes, her face flushed. He broke their momentary trance by slowly helping her back onto her feet.

"I'm sorry, I-I wasn't l-l-looking—" Hinata looked down at the ground, embarrassed.

"It's okay! At least you didn't fall, right?" Naruto grinned at her, and she nearly melted.

It was then that she noticed the flowers. "T-Those are lovely."

"Oh, these? I just found them…they aren't anything too special! I wanted to give 'em to Sakura, since she did take care of me and all."

_Oh…they're for her…of course_. Hinata felt her insides churn, the good feeling of running into him now fading.

Naruto peered closely at her, noticing her sudden change in demeanor. "Are you okay?"

Hinata gulped and plastered a smile on her face. "O-Oh yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me! She'll love them."

He was still looking at her. Then he smiled back and waved, already beginning to walk away. "Great! I'll see you later, Hinata."

Once again she found herself left in the dust, watching him go, unable to run after him or tell him her true feelings—or even do anything.

_I wish I was as brave as I thought I was_.

_I'm foolish. A coward_.

_Maybe this is all meant to happen, so that Naruto-kun will be with someone better_.

_I don't deserve you_.

* * *

"Thank you, Naruto! This is really sweet." Sakura admired the flowers for a moment, and then began to search for something to put them in. Naruto grew quiet for a bit as she did so, nervously scratching at his arm.

"Um—Sakura-chan?"

She turned around and looked at him. "What?"

"Ah, never mind." He nervously laughed it off, rubbing his head. "I guess I'll get going."

That was when Sakura remembered her dream last night. It was when she had healed Hinata, and realized how much she loved Naruto.

"You know," she said, as her face fell a little, "about that girl—"

"Who, Hinata?" Naruto put his arm down, confused by the sudden change of subject.

"Yeah," Sakura replied, and took in a deep breath. "Well…she was your girlfriend till you lost some of your memory…she really loves you, Naruto."

"W—What?" He was taken aback, eyes widening.

"And I'm sure you really love her…you did, you just can't remember right now…"

Naruto is beyond shocked. He stood there for a bit, and then shook his head. "No. No—you must be joking." He was starting to shake a little.

Sakura slowly shook her head, her face still serious. "I'm not, Naruto. Hinata has been hurting because you don't remember her, or what you guys have been through."

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry my chapters are starting to get shorter...I've been quite busy with school! Life is crazy. But thanks a bunch for reading my stuff, I really appreciate it! Even though it isn't the best. I've been enjoying it for sure, and hope you guys have been as well! (:


	10. Nine

**Nine**

"_You know, you're not so bad. A bit quiet, but I like you!"_

That was just like that other time, when they were younger.

_"But you know something? I like people like you." _His smile was permanently etched into her mind and her heart. She couldn't forget it, even if she wanted to.

Hinata looked out across the lake water, stuck on memories but unable to move forward, despite time and everything else doing so around her.

She knew that Naruto wasn't doing this on purpose. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't really her fault, either. She just had so much to say to him, but wasn't very good at putting words together.

Maybe for others, it was easier. But it was never that easy to tell the one love how you truly feel—no matter how much people say it is.

* * *

Naruto stood there, his body still shaking.

"Naruto—you can't get yourself too worked up like this. Your—"

"I'm fine." He slowly unclenched his fists. "I'll be going now."

Sakura watched as he walked out of the room, wondering if she had really done the right thing.

_I just want things to be okay again_.

* * *

Even after Hinata had admitted her love for Naruto, for a while, nothing really happened between them. But then again, a lot of things were going on that just held precedence over their personal feelings—there were a lot more pressing matters at hand.

Hinata tried her best to just forget about it for the time being, as difficult as that was.

Naruto could contain it a little better than she could, but it was a bit harder to forget. Especially since that time happened to trigger some of the most intense feelings of rage and despair he had ever felt.

He had never felt so out of control.

It had never occurred to him before that maybe, he loved Hinata.

There was no other reasonable explanation.

Finally one day, he knew that it couldn't be put off any longer. He had to go find her.

_Hinata was just leaving her place when Naruto appeared, almost as if out of nowhere._

_ "N-Naruto-kun?" She was genuinely surprised. "What are you doing he—" She was cut off as he reached out and took her hand in his. She had never seen him look so serious. "What—"_

_ "We need to talk." He was still pulling her along with him, not looking back at her. "But not here."_

_ Hinata nodded even though he couldn't see her, and felt her heart rate steadily rise. _This isn't the first time he's held my hand, _she thought to herself, _but this…this feels…different.

_He finally stopped when they reached a group of trees by the lake, and stood there for a moment, still facing away from her and slowly letting go of her hand._

_ A few moments passed before Hinata found the courage to speak up. "Naruto?"_

_ "I'm sorry." He finally turned around to face her. "It's just, I don't even know where to begin. Maybe with, the fact that I'm such a damn fool for waiting so long…"_

_ "H-huh?" She couldn't really see where he was going with this, and she felt like fainting, her heart was beating so fast._

_ Naruto was no longer looking at the ground. His blue eyes were right on hers, and she felt her face grow hot. She wished he would say something—anything, to break this dreaded silence! She wished…_

_ He slowly raised a hand up to her face and placed it on her cheek, taking a step closer. It felt cool on her warm skin. She could feel herself holding her breath as he drew her closer to him with his other arm. Now their faces were only mere centimeters away from each other's._

_ "Hinata…" His voice was so quiet now, she could barely hear him. "Do you still love me? Because, I need you. I can't keep away any longer." He gently pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms all the way around her. "Please—stay with me."_

_ Hinata felt crazy butterflies in her stomach. _This can't be real. _But she closed her eyes, hearing the steady beating of his heart, and then believed._

_ "I love you. I'm not going anywhere."_

* * *

Hinata felt the tears stream down her face before she could really stop them. She wiped them away and stood up, trying her best to be strong.

_I can't stay here anymore_, she thought to herself, _there are too many memories here_. _Especially of that time_.

She left the lake, eager to escape any more thoughts of Naruto. She had never felt so helpless. Her emotions were all over the place, and everything felt messy. It didn't feel right. But she didn't know how to fix it.

Although it was strange, the only place that she could go to right now and feel the most calm was on the rooftop of Naruto's place. She wiped away any remaining tears and gazed out across the other rooftops around her, already feeling at ease. _Maybe I could take just a little nap_…

Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her, and turned around. _Who could be coming up here?_

Naruto stopped in his tracks once he saw her. "…Hinata? What are you doing up here?"

Her eyes widened, and she took a step backward, completely caught off guard. "N-N-Naruto-kun?" But she hadn't been paying attention, and had taken a step back too far. Before she could do or say anything else, she felt herself slip off the edge of the roof.

"Hinata!" Naruto ran as fast as he could over to where she had stood, but he had been too far away to get to her in time.


	11. Ten

**Ten**

"_That is why I am not afraid to die protecting you." _–Hinata

* * *

Naruto peered frantically over the edge where Hinata had fallen. She had luckily landed on a balcony a few feet down, but she wasn't moving. He carefully leaped down next to her. "Hinata?" No response. She was unconscious. He gently picked her up and immediately made his way to the hospital.

_So she loves me, huh, _thought Naruto, glancing down at her pale face.

_It's so smooth…almost, beautiful_. His hand grazed her cheek, but then he put it back down as soon as he had raised it. _I've never noticed much before_.

He brought himself back to reality, and tightened his grip on her. _I have to get her help_.

* * *

"What happened?" Sakura was immediately alarmed when she saw Naruto carrying a limp and unresponsive Hinata.

"She fell from the roof." He carefully laid her down on the bed. "She was fortunate enough to have landed on that balcony below…it's all my fault. If I hadn't startled her so much—"

"Oh Naruto, don't blame yourself. It isn't your fault. At least you brought her here quickly." Sakura gave him a small, reassuring smile. "I'll make sure she's okay."

Almost an hour had passed before she came back out of the room. Naruto stood up and looked at her expectantly.

"Is Hinata okay?"

"Yes, but she won't be awake for a while, it looks like."

"Why not?"

"She's…in a coma. It's probably from the impact of the fall as well as the amount of emotional trauma she experienced and the stress…"

Naruto felt his heart drop, though he didn't really understand why. "So there's nothing you can do?"

Sakura shook her head, her bright green eyes serious. "I'm afraid not—we just have to hope for the best, that she'll wake up soon. But that could be days, months…possibly years from now…"

He sat back down onto the chair in the hallway, feeling shaky and unstable all of a sudden.

_Why do I feel like this? _He gripped the edge of the seat tightly, his knuckles turning white. _I feel like my entire world is caving in_…

"Naruto?" Sakura peered at him carefully, concerned. "Are you all right?"

He took in a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm fine. If she's okay now, then I'll be going. Let me know if anything comes up."

"Oh, all right," Sakura said, still watching him carefully.

He gave her a small smile and waved, standing up. "Thanks, Sakura-chan." He turned and walked away, and she knew that something was wrong. She watched him until he disappeared around a corner at the end of the hallway, and then sighed before going back into the room where Hinata was.

* * *

Even though Hinata was in a coma, she was still dreaming.

_"I love you. I'm not going anywhere."_

_ She tightened her own arms around him, breathing in deeply. It felt like home. She felt his warm breath in her hair, and she closed her eyes._

_ "That's good to hear," he said, "I love you too, Hinata. You won't ever have to be alone again."_

_ They stayed like that for what seemed like a long time, then Naruto pulled back a little, still holding onto her. "Are you—crying?"_

_ "N-No," Hinata replied, burying her face into his chest. She couldn't help but sniffle a little._

_ "Oh, Hinata—you're a terrible liar. Look at me." When she didn't, he tilted up her head to see her face and gently wiped away a few stray tears._

_ "You're not allowed to cry in front of me anymore, got it?" He gave her a small smile. "Okay, I'm not completely serious…sometimes, crying is good, to get your feelings out…or it's out of happiness. But Hinata…I don't ever want you hurting. Or sad. I'm going to make sure that you're happy, always!"_

_ Hinata gave him a small smile back. "It was a good kind of crying, Naruto-kun…but thank you."_

_ He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. She still had butterflies all over the place, and they were going haywire inside of her stomach. But she didn't mind._

_ "My silly Hinata."_

* * *

Naruto climbed into his bed that night, ready for some sleep. But as he lay there, he found that he was having a hard time falling asleep.

_"She really loves you, Naruto."_

_ "Naruto-kun—"_

_ No. This isn't right. I love Sakura, not…_

"Hinata." He found himself saying her name out loud, barely a whisper. "Why won't you leave me alone? You're always in my dreams…" He closed his eyes, seeing her smooth, pale face, and his hand on her cheek…

_What is with me? _He turned onto his side, facing the moonlit window. _I must be really tired_.

_There must be a mistake. I wouldn't forget the one I love—no matter what. And that isn't Hinata…_

Even as he thought this to himself, he still had a small bit of doubt in the back of his mind.


	12. Eleven

**Eleven**

Sakura stood over Hinata's bed, placing a fresh warm cloth onto her forehead. She sat down in the chair next to the bed, watching as Hinata quietly breathed in and out, almost as if she was simply asleep instead of in a coma.

_She looks so calm_, she thought to herself, _even more peaceful than when she was conscious_.

But she knew that was because of Naruto's memory loss. She couldn't imagine having the one you love not even remember who you were.

It was hard enough being away from the one she loved—knowing that he was willingly absent, that he didn't have any intentions of coming back to where she was.

And that hurt, too.

* * *

Naruto wasn't getting much sleep.

_I'm still seeing her in my dreams_.

It didn't make much sense to him. He barely knew Hinata, yet in his dreams…it seemed like he did. It troubled him greatly, and the dreams just kept on occurring.

It was still dark outside, but he sat up anyway, and pulled back the blankets.

_I wonder how she's doing_, he found himself thinking as he slowly put on his clothes and made his way up to the roof. It was chilly, and the moon was partially obstructed by a few clouds. Naruto glanced out across the quiet, still village, suddenly feeling overwhelmingly alone.

_Why was she u here—on the roof of my place—anyway?_

_ "She really loves you, Naruto."_

He sat down and leaned up against the cold wall, shutting his eyes tightly to clear out his thoughts.

_Please…leave me be_.

* * *

"_You're absolutely amazing, Hinata."_

_ …"Why did you come here? Hurry up and run! He's too much for—"_

_ "Why are you doing this?"_

_ "I'm here…because I want to be here. I used to always cry and give up…I made many wrong turns…but you…you helped me find the right path…I always chased after you, I wanted to catch up to you…I wanted to walk beside you all the time…I just wanted to be with you."_

_ "You changed me! Your smile is what saved me! That is why I am not afraid to die protecting you! Because…I love you…Naruto-kun."_

_ "Hinata! Hinata!"_

_ There was blood…so much blood…_

_ Everything hurt…it was almost unbearable._

Naruto woke up with a start, tears streaming down his face and having difficulty breathing. _Oh my god_, he thought as he covered his face and his body trembled uncontrollably. _Now I remember_.

_I remember everything_.

_"I need you. I can't keep away any longer."_

_ "Please—stay with me."_

_ "I love you. I'm not going anywhere."_

It was all hitting him like a brick, and he couldn't help but cry for Hinata, and what they had almost lost because of him. He didn't even notice that he was still on the roof, rather than inside on his own bed.

_"And I'm sure you really love her…you did, you just can't remember right now…"_

So Sakura had been right.

Naruto finally pulled himself together almost an hour later. It started to rain steadily when he slowly stood up.

_Hinata_…

All he could think about was getting to her—he had to see her, now. That was all that mattered.

* * *

"_Naruto-kun…" _Hinata was still dreaming, no matter what.

* * *

It was still late in the night, so no one was in the hospital when Naruto walked in. he was drenched head to toe from the rain, but he wasn't concerned with such things.

Hinata was in her bed, still unconscious. He quietly walked over and stood next to where she lay, watching her softly breathing in and out, almost as if she was just asleep.

There was so much that he wanted to say, but he couldn't. She could remain like this for a year and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

_It's all my fault_, he thought as he gently took her cold hand in his. _I did this to you_.

_Please…wake up_.

Naruto reached over and stroked her hair, feeling shaky all over again. He wanted to hear her quiet laugh, and her way of saying his name. He wanted to see those lavender eyes looking back at him.

She stayed still, with a peaceful look on her pale face.

All of the memories were overwhelming. He felt like he couldn't breathe. His eyes were tearing up again, and everything was blurry.

He held on to her hand tighter now, and buried his face into the pillow next to where she lay.

"I love you," he whispered, voice trembling. "I'm not going anywhere."


	13. Twelve

**Twelve**

Sakura arrived at the hospital early that morning, wanting to check on Hinata's progress and to do a few small tasks. She was surprised to walk into Hinata's room and see that she was not alone.

"Nar—" Sakura stopped, seeing that he was fast asleep, still holding on to Hinata's hand.

_What is he doing here? Did he…finally…remember?_

They both looked peaceful, so she didn't want to wake them up. After checking up on Hinata's condition and replacing her warm cloth on her forehead, Sakura quietly crept out of the room almost as soon as she had come in.

* * *

The sound of pouring rain and thunder outside woke Naruto up. He yawned and stretched, a small crick in his neck from the way he had slept.

Hinata's hand was still cool in the warmth of his hand, and he held onto it even tighter. She was completely still, her body slightly rising and falling as she breathed quietly. Her face was paler than it usually was, but there was a hint of pink from her flushed cheeks.

"I know you probably can't hear me, but—" Naruto's stomach suddenly growled, interrupting his heartfelt speech. _I haven't eaten since yesterday morning_…

He didn't want to leave Hinata, but he had to have something. He was already starting to feel a bit queasy.

"I'll be back," he said to Hinata, squeezing her hand before letting go. "Don't wake up without me."

* * *

"_Hinata…"_

_ It was Naruto's voice. She could recognize it anywhere, anytime._

_ "N-Naruto…kun…"_

_ "Please—wake up."_

_ "I need you."_

_ "Naruto-kun?"_

Hinata's eyes slowly opened, and for a second she was in a daze—not sure of where she was, or what was happening…

She had a small headache, but otherwise felt fine. She took the warm cloth off of her forehead and slowly sat up, taking a look at the room around her.

_Now I remember_, she thought, and her heart felt heavy all over again.

_Naruto_…

Then she realized that she was in the hospital.

_I fell—how did I get here?_

Before she could dwell on the matter any further, Sakura walked into the room.

"Hinata! You're awake?" She made her way quickly to the side of the bed, surprised. "How are you feeling?"

Hinata tucked her hair behind her ear, and looked up at Sakura.

"Um…who brought me here?"

"Oh," Sakura said, caught off guard a little. "Naruto did."

* * *

Naruto ate his fill of ramen (of course) and immediately made his way back to the hospital.

He desperately tried to think of what to say to Hinata if she was awake, but was having a difficult time. Words were simply not enough for all of these feelings he was experiencing, or for how sorry he felt towards her.

When he walked into her room, he saw Sakura sitting in the chair by Hinata's bed, and Hinata was sitting up. They were talking to one another, almost as if Hinata had never been in a coma in the first place.

_She's…awake?_

Naruto stopped in the doorway, unable to fully believe what he was seeing.

"H…Hinata?"

The two girls paused mid-conversation, and turned to look at him. "Oh, hi, Naruto." Sakura got to her feet, a bit surprised to see him. "Um—I just remembered that I have to go see Lady Tsunade for something! Take care, Hinata. Bye, Naruto." She left the room, and then it grew quiet.

Hinata stared at Naruto, wondering if this was a dream. Why would he be here?

Suddenly, her eyes began filling up with tears, and she looked away, embarrassed.

_He still doesn't know who I am._

_ I might as well still be in my coma_.

Naruto took in a deep breath, and started to take a step towards her. Then he took another—and another. He reached the bed, and gently placed a hand on her shaking shoulder. "Hinata…"

She immediately moved away, still not looking at him.

_No…please…_

He refused to give up. He knelt down and carefully turned her face to look at him. "Hinata…please, look at me."

She wiped her eyes and stared into his bright blue eyes, surprised to see that they were teary as well.

"Hinata…" He reached up with one hand, gently wiping her cheek. "Please…don't cry. I need you…besides…" He managed a small smile at her. "Didn't you promise not to cry in front of me anymore?"

Her eyes slowly widened, and then her heart began to race.

"N-N-Naruto-kun?" She reached up to touch his face, to make sure he really was here, and that she wasn't still somehow dreaming.

"It's really me," he said, almost as if he had read her mind. Before she could say anything else, he leaned in closer and their lips met, and then nothing else really needed to be said anyway.


	14. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Hinata was finally able to leave the hospital the next day. Naruto had never left her side the entire time, except to bring them some food or one time for flowers to put a smile on Hinata's face.

They were practically inseparable now, and spent as little time away from each other as possible.

Soon Naruto was given permission to go on missions again, and eventually Hinata as well.

He promised to be a lot more careful from now on, and Hinata promised not to miss him too much—or cry.

* * *

"Naruto-kun."

"Mmm." He turned over and curled up into a tight ball beneath the covers.

Hinata lifted up the covers and planted a kiss on his tousled hair, laughing a little. "Come on, sleepy, or Lady Tsunade will get really mad at you."

"Nnnuh," Naruto groaned into the pillow, "just a little longer…"

"B-But Naruto-kun, you have to go—"

He turned over again and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Gotcha! Now you can't move. Guess we're stuck here forever now!"

"N-N-Naruto-kun! I thought you were still sleepy—"

"I am." He yawned, and buried his face into her chest. "Can I just stay here with you in bed all day instead?"

Hinata smiled, and held onto him as well. "I don't really want you to go, either," she said quietly, "but you should. They'll need you on this mission, Naruto."

He sighed, and looked at her. "You're right…Hinata, what would I do without you?"

"I—I don't know."

Naruto held onto her hand, and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"I don't really know either," he admitted, "but I definitely wouldn't be as happy as I am now."

Hinata felt the butterflies in her stomach go wile, and she didn't really know what to say to this so she just smiled shyly.

"Oh, I definitely should get going." Naruto quickly got out of bed and began putting on his clothes. Hinata remained in bed, still a bit sleepy herself. She didn't want to move—and she didn't want him to leave.

Once Naruto was ready, she finally got out of bed to see him off at the door.

"I'll see you soon," Naruto said, enveloping her into a hug. Hinata almost felt tears coming on, but she held them back, wanting to be strong. He leaned in close to give her a kiss, and she closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I love you."

"I love you _more_."

"Well—I love you most!"

"Okay…you win…for now."

They both laughed, and everything felt right in the world.

_Everything is okay._

_ Everything is absolutely okay now, and I'm the happiest I could ever be._

_ It's all thanks to you, Naruto-kun._

_ Let's be happy and grow, together._

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for reading! I really appreciate it, even if just a few people it's better than no one (: I am definitely planning on writing another Naruhina very very soon, as in I'm already working on it now. This was my first one, & it's turned out to be really fun so I think I'm going to give another story a try! I'm really excited & hope that many of you will return to read it! Keep an eye out :3


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